Packaging bedstead frame



Sept. 28 1926. 1,601,157- G. B. ALLEMAN Er AI.

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G. B. ALLEMAN ET AL PACKAGING BEDSTEAD FRAME Filed April 17. '1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Rye Patented Sept. Z5, 19226.

GEORGE B. ALLEIVIAN AND-MATHIAS J'. JOACHIM, OIF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, .ASSIGNORS YTO SIMMONS COMPANY, OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION F DELAWARE.

PACKAGING BEDsTnAn FRAME.

Application filed April 17, 1922. Serial No. 553,813.

Our invention relates to improvements in the art ot packaging bedstead frames, and relates particularly to 'the manner of so packing a bedstead frame that the same may be delivered to the ultimate consumer in the same condition in which it leaves' the factory of the manufacturer. n

The Vprincipal objects of the invention are to provide a bedstead package of unitary character which shall contain a pair of head and footend-frames or panels so arranged that damage by shipment or otherwise shall be reduced to a minimum; to provide a package containing a bedstead frame in which the use of dust or dirt producing packing material such as eXcelsior, is eliminated; to provide means for So anchoring the parts ot the bedstead frame within an enclosing container that the parts will not 20. rub against each other or against the inner surface of the container; to provide means for mutually supporting the parts of the bedstead; to provide a 'construction of package which shall be simple and inexpensive to produce; and in general, to provide a neat, rugged and e'liicient package of the character referred to.

In the drawings which illustrate our in-v vention as applied to the packaging of a bedstead trame comprising a pair of head and foot-end-trames or panels: i

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a completed package;l f

Fig. 2 is a plan view of said package showing` the frames in place and with the flaps ot the package open prior to their being sealed in place;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlargement of a portion of Fig. 2;

yFig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6 6 ot Fig. 3; and y `Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the application of the invention to a bedstead frame constructed with round instead of square steel metallic tubing. l A

to the drawings, it will be ab@ seried that the bedstead frame therein shown comprises a head-encl-ti'aine or panel constructed, in this instance, of metallic tubing of square cross section. The outer boundary of said head trame Consists of what in the trade is known as a continuous post which in reality comprises a top rail portion 10 integrally connected by means of bends 11 to the corner-posts 12. The top rail 10 of the panel or frame constitutes an upper support for the filler tube 13, the lower endsvof which are supportedl in or secured to the lower rail 14.

y lIhe foot-end-frame or panel is of substantially the same construct-ion as the head-endframel or panel just described, but in the case of the foot-end the post portions 15, as is usual in the art, are considerably shorter than the head-end post portions 12. Also, in order to provide a more linished or artistic appearance, the lower ends of the footend post portions are equipped with ornamental legs, as at v16. The lower ends of the leg portions 16 are-hollow and are adapted to receive sockets provided with bottom plates 17 suitably' apertured and otherwise constructed to admit the stems of the casters. The four casters, according to the usual practice, are tied together in a bundle, which bundle is suitably secured to some part of one of the frames so as not to rattle around in the packagefduring shipment, and thereby to injure the iinish of the bedstead.

Bot-h the head-end post portion 12 and the 'foot-end post portion 15 are constructed with brackets, as at 18, 19, 20 and 21, said brackets having means for detachably securing in place the angle-iron side-rails (not shown) usually shipped separately outside of the bedstead package, and which serve to connect together the head and foot-end panels oi the bedstead and also to support the spring or bed bottom.

In preparing thevpackage, we first procure a pair of spacing blocks or posts 22, forV instance, short wooden rods or bars, in the ends of which there are insertedsinall headless pins, as at 23 and 24. The lower pins 23 are arranged toenter small apen tures punched. er @li-illes inte the top CIZ or web 25 of the brackets 18 and 19. The pins 24 in the upper ends of the spacing rods 22 are adapted to enter the apertures in plates 17 through which the stems of the casters are to be inserted when setting up the bedstead.

The length of the spacing rods 22 is such that when the foot-end-panel is placed parallel with the head-endpanel, but at a slight distance therefrom, and with its brackets Q0 and Q1 facingl in the same general direction as the brackets 1Sv and 19, the top of the upper rail QG which connects the post portions l5 will be positioned at the same height and will parallel or overlie the top rail l0 of the head-en'd-frame or panel.

Suitable clamps arranged in pairs, the pairs' in the present instance, being four in number, are employed' to hold and maintain the head-end-panel and the foot-cnd-panel in properly spaced parallel relation during shipment, and also serve to space the frames away from the walls of the container. Preferably two of said pairs of clamps, as indicated' in Fig. 6, are symmetrical as to their opposite ends, while the upper pairs of clamps, as illustrated in Fig. 4, are made with extensions.

As shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, each member of each pair of clamps comprises a block of material such as wood, which is relatively cheap and light in weight, the inner surface of said wood block 27 being notched out to j form a air of grooves of the re uired width P ci and shape to admit the tube or other member to which the clamp is applied. Preferably in order to prevent the panels from moving towards eachV other, the grooves or notches in the faces of the ,clamps are separated by a` tongue or rib 2S.

The two parts or members of each clamp pair are preferably of the same shape and size and are secured together by means of a central clamping bolt 29. Ordinarily it will be of advantage to counter-sink the outer member of the pai-r of clamps in themanner indicated at 30 in Fig. G and 3l in Fig. ft in order to prevent the` head 39. of the clamping bolt 29 from projecting from the outer'surface of the clamp. Owing to the fact that the nut 33 on the threaded enl 3st ofthe clamping' bolt 29 is usually arranged toward the inside of the clamp, said nut and threaded end of the bolt may project without bad effect.

Ags we have found that'the wooden clamps when bolted directly to the posts of the bedstead have al tendency to injure or mar the painted, enameled, varnished, or lacquered surface of the ,bedsteath we find it desirable to interpose between the bedvstead frame portions and the clamping faces of the clamp members some lining material which will prevent the wood from coming in direct contact with the finish. Such lining takes the form of a sheet or strip fitting in the bottoms of the notches of each clamp meniber, as indicated at Preferably the sheet portions which line adjacenty notches in the same clamp member are integrally connected together by a connecting portion 36 extending over and around the tongue and apertured to receive the bolt 20 so that the bolt 29 will prevent the lining strips from shifting when the package is bciirg assembled or in transit.

The' packing or lining material 235 shonl'l, of course, be selected in accordance with the character of the finish of the bedstcad and also in accordance with the comlition to which the package willv be subjected during storage or shipment. For instance, under certain conditions it may be possible to use merely strips of felt, heavy waited paper, or even cardboard. However, in order to avoid the possibility of marring the finish` we prefer to use strips of sheet Celluloid which preferably have been. previouslyv dusted with powdered talc or soap-stone. lWe do not claim to be the inventors of this special' material.

We have previously referred to the factthat the pairs of clamps which secure together the top rails of the foot-end and liezul-end-frames are longer than the side clamps. Said extensions 3TH are for thc purpose of bringing the ends of the. upper clamps to the side surface of the wall ol the container' so that the upper ends of the bedstead frames or panels will not move sidevris'e in the package. lt may be stated here that the thickness or space between the walls of the container which vic will hereafter de scribe, is determined by thc amount oi projection of the brackets Q0 and "il of the footend-panel. The extent of projection I? and 3T of the ends of the clamp members ol viously also a factor to be considered in arriving at the dimensions ot the container. The amount otl projection il? and il? is pref"- erablv determined by the stillness ol' the material of which the outer enclosure or carton is constructed, it being, of course. under- .stood that no portion of the finished surface of the bedstead frames should be allowed lo contact with the inner surface of the con trainer during shipment or storage of the package.

In practice we prefer to make the outer container or enclosure for the package of a very heavjv grade ci still paper board constructed from a Single lillank, the edges of which are overlapped and riveted or ccincnted together, or both, as at 3S in Fig. i?. These containers are preferably shij-'iped and handled in the flat or knocl-:cd down condition and after having been opened out into rer tangular form, the bottoni ott the container is first completed by folding over the .side flaps 3f) and #t0 and the end flaps as at il,

F fl

upon the upper' pair of clamps.

Isaid flaps all being cemented orriveted together, orfb'oth.

After the said flaps have been cemented to form the bottom of the carton, the frame ends which have been previously clamped together, as above described, are inserted ory by the overlapping' of the flaps 39, 40 and 41. A' strip 43 of relatively thin lumber and of width and length substantially equal to 1 the cross sectional dimensions of the carton,

is laid in the end of the package so as torest Said strip 43 if desired, may be tacked to the clamps. A ter the strip 48 has been inserted, the side kfiaps 44 and 45 and the end fiaps, as at 46, are

cemented and vfolded in place, preferably clamping them down against the board 43 by any suitable pressure applying device until the cement is set sufficiently to enable the package to be handled without danger of the flaps springing away from each other.

Inllig. 7 we have illustrated the clamps as applied to a bedstead similar to the one previously described, but constructed' of tubing of round instead of square cross section. Apart from the shape of the clamping blocks, which for the round tubing are made with semi-circular grooves, the` details of construction and arrangement are substantially the same as previously described.

The package herein described has a number of important advantages over previous methods of packing and shipping bedsteads. For instance, according to our method of packaging, the bedstead is shipped from the manufacturer in a sealed, substantially rigid outer container, which container may be marked with the name of the manufacturer, and also with the necessary data to identify the contents of the container. Such sealed package need not be opened by the distrib- Vutor or retailer, and is intended to reach the consumerY or user in the same condition as that in which it leaves the plant of the manufacturer. Hence, substitution of inferior articles is eifectually eliminated.

Any damage in shipment will be disclosed by the condition of the container, fire hazard due to the use of eXcelsior or other infiammable packing material is material reduced, and the merchandizing of the bedstead including the handling of same by the distributor yand dealer is very much simplied. rThe home of the user is not littered up with excelsior when the bedstead is removed from the package, the surface of the finish is not injured by the packing and shipping process, and in addition thereto the char 'eter of the package is such that all persons handling the same are impressed with the value and highvqnaity of its con-- tents, and, hence, causes the goods to be handled and treated in a much more careful manner :than is the case where the'same article is shipped in a crate made of rough lumber.

The described details of construction and operation are merely illustrative of a singie phase of our. invention, the scope of which should be determined by the appended claims, said claims being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

lNe claim:

l. As a new article of manufacture, a packaged finished bedstead frame comprising a head-end-panel having corner-posts provided with side-rail-connecting brackets, a foot-end-panel rigidly spaced from said hea-d-end-panel, arranged parallel therewith and supported by said brackets, means for clamping together said panels in said spaced relation, said means projecting out beyond the outer boundaries of said panels, and a surrounding form maintaining container enclosing saidpanels, but having its walls spaced from the finished surfaces of said panels by said projecting means.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a packaged finished bedstead frame comprising a head-end-panel having corner-posts provided with side-'rail connecting brackets,

a foot-end-panel also provided with corner-k posts rigidly spaced from the head-endpanel and arranged parallel therewith, spacing means mounted on said brackets for supporting the ends of the foot-end cornerposts thereby to bring the'upper portions of the foot-end-panel and of the head-endpanel in substantial register, clamps for rigidly securing together said panels in said spaced relation, and a surrounding form maintaining carton enclosing said panels and having its walls spaced from the finished surfaces of the frame.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a packaged finished bedstead frame comprising a head-end-panel having corner-posts provided with side-rail-connecting brackets, a foot-end-panel also provided with cornerposts rigidly spaced from the head-end-panel and arranged parallel therewith, spacing means mounted on said brackets for supporting the ends of the foot-end cornerposts thereby to bring the upper portions lUO packaged, nislied bedstead frame Compris beyond 'the outer borders of said panels and ing a head end panel having corner posts a paper-board container enclosing said 10 provided with side rail connecting brackets, panels` the Walls ol said container being a foot end panel rigidly' spaced from said spaeezl Ji'rom the iinislied surfaces ol said 5 head end banel, arranged parallel therepanels by said projecting:r means.

with, and supported by said brackets, means for clamping' together said panels in said GEORGE l, LLEMN. spaced relation, said means projecting out MKII-HAS J. JOACHIM. 

